“The students were shaken up and taken to area hospitals,” he said. “They were later released, (and) are being released to their parents.”

Byrd, who works for F&A Transportation in East Orange, had a suspended license between 1996 and 2006, Ambrose said, but he couldn’t elaborate on why it was suspended. Her current license status remains under investigation, Ambrose said.

Attempts to reach the bus company and the Newark Board of Education were not immediately successful Wednesday night.